Welcome to the first part of our two (maybe more) part series on COVID-19, the novel coronavirus that has turned lives upside down. Including our own. Before one of our hosts was told to leave their dorm in the US and the other was quarantined in Malaysia. we had sat down to record what we hoped had been the most extreme statistics of the then epidemic. In only a month, the numbers have more than doubled globally. The effect of COVID-19 on people and communities, especially vulnerable ones, is just being realised which is why it is important to recognise fake news about the pandemic when you see it. Many of the myths discussed in the episode are still being circulated and believed today. Stay home and stay safe!

With the death toll from the recent protests continuing to climb and the assassination of Quds Force leader Qassem Soleimani in early January 2020, we sit down with a refugee who had fled from Iran during the Green Revolution in 2009. He has asked to stay anonymous but has given his account about the events that forced him to leave and what he thinks of the protests thus far. 

**Trigger Warning: Some of the events discussed in this episode include mentions of torture and physical violence which may be triggering for some listeners**

*Disclaimer: The thoughts and opinions expressed by the interviewee do not reflect the thoughts and opinions held by the 13th Hour Podcast team or the hosts*

Our first episode on Iran focuses on the infamous "Cassette Revolution", the former Iranian Royal Family and the role that BP and the CIA had to play in the ousting of the most beloved Prime Minister the country had ever known. We track the birth of the Axis of Evil  narrative and how it impacts the current coverage of the Iranian Oil Protests in 2019. 

The second and final episode on Kashmir comes on the heels of the abrogation of the territory’s special status over 100 days ago. But first, we give you a prelude of the major events leading up to the symbolic move, China’s annexation of a slice of what’s now known as the ‘disputed territory’, as well as the gruesome Hindu Pandit massacre in the 90s. A journalist for The Wire, Kabir Agarwal, joins the podcast to share with us his frontline experiences and the significance of Kashmir for two nuclear-armed countries, India and Pakistan.

Follow Kabir @kabira_tweeting. Read one of his articles on Kashmir here: https://thewire.in/rights/kashmir-article-370-leh-ladakh-land-job-reservation

Follow Fatima Qureshi @Fat1maKQ on Twitter and @fatmaisfound on Instagram.

Follow Zeerak Khurram on @zerakhuram on Twitter and Instagram.

Don’t forget to follow our show @the13thhourpod1 on Twitter and @the13thhourpod on Instagram.